Oh yeah? Well back in MY day the G.I. Joe figures had crappy rubberbands that would snap within a year or make the figure looser than the whore down the street. But we LIKED it!!! You youngins are spoiled today.

I'm a huge articulation fan, however I'm a huge G.I. Joe articulation critic... I think Hasbro's "super articulation" style has proven to be the best overall for a toy line (in this scale at least). G.I. Joe, as much as I love GIJ's from when I was a kid, are not the most attractive toys... Hasbro's done really well so I'm not too displeased.

Actually, with ROTS, Hasbro has really done fantastic... They've only dropped the ball a few random figures as far as I'm concerned... The latest Wookiee Warrior would be one, and Commander Bacara would be another. They don't super articulate everyone, and I'd be all for them slapping more articulation on some figures, but they've done a lot of figures justice lately... Many more "hits" than "misses". That's a big leap for Hasbro over the last 10 years where misses often outnumbered hits, ESPECIALLY in movie years. Yikes!

Yeah, I know the GI Joes didn't look super, but I thought they looked fine. It was the playability that rocked. they could sit in their vehicles and hold their guns and their legs weren't locked into on plane of movement.

But hasbro now has the improvements needed to give us both. The Super Articulation just needs the final step, the GI Joe waist and rubber band. And they'd last forever with the newer rubbery plastics.

Yeah I have Chewie you can't even bend his knees. I think all the "Action slash, punch, draw" figures aren't so hot. Super Articulation should be the standard.

I was still OFFICIALLY a kid playing with GI Joes back when they started with all the quick choping and missile firing things, and I remember hated those toys. I remember my friends hating them as well. I just don't get where Hasbro is coming from

I agree with Jesse, I like the SA versions of Star Wars characters better than the G.I. Joe style of SA. I would much rather have a figure like the SA Clone Trooper than a G.I. Joe guy. I do like that G.I. Joe figures have a uniform style of articulation, but I'm hoping Star Wars catches up in that regard (which hasbro seems to be gearing the line towards). If hasbro were to combine the upper body/arms of the #41 SA Clone Trooper with the lower body/legs of the AT-TE Tank Gunner (as well as adding the head and removable helmet), that would be the best Star Wars figure ever. They could use that to serve as the template for all future Star Wars figures. I would much prefer that than the G.I. Joe style articulation.

As far as the best articulation in the 3 3/4" line, I'd have to give my vote to the Army of Darkness figures. They have about the same amount of articulation as Marvel Legends (double jointed knees/elbows - even in the skeletons!). The only drawback is the weakness of the figures. I wouldn't expect hasbro to give that much articulation to a toy line whose target audience is still children though. (I killed the AoD thread in the OTHER TOY LINES section, so I hope I don't kill this thread here as well) Maybe if the upcoming Marvel 3 3/4" line sells really well, hasbro will try their hand at the double knee joints and stuff in Star Wars figures...

Logged

The scariest thing that I've ever seen,Is the terrible AT-AT walking machine.It's as big as a house on walking legs,and whatever it steps on it crushes like eggs.

Articulation has it's place. Hasbro has definately improvedover the years and I'm very pleased with how things are going. Sure, some could be done better, but I'm not complaining too much. As for the action features, I think they worked well this time around and wouldn't be horribly upset if we continued to see some versions of each character with them.

It is piecing it altogether to be the standard for the figures that is the problem. That and the Waist piece. The legs are always sticking out in one manner. GI Joe waists allowed for so much freedom of movement. YOu could put the legs together so they could stand in a place, or bend them to site in ANY vehicle. That was very nice

I like most of the Articulation in the SA Clone Trooper now. The ankles, knees (with their swivel!), wrists, elbows (also swivel), Shoulders (w/swivel), Ball and socket heads. It is just that darn waist!

Not really. Hasbro has made all of the elements to replicate the Gi-joe waist without usuing the rubber band, they just have yet to put them all on one figure. The SA clones and the VOTC stomie has a specially articulated torso and the Clone Gunner has the ball jointed hips. I think if one would swap out the legs of a SA clone with that of the Gunners, you would have the most articulated SW figure possible.

I agree, I think we've seen that Hasbro can do all the elements of what many would consider to be "near perfect" articulation (ball jointed hips, shoulders, head, knees, etc.)...but it hasn't really all been put together in one figure. Instead, it has been spread throughout various figures. I'm a fan of articulation as well, as long as it doesn't start detracting from the sculpt. To me, figures like the VOTC Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Stormtrooper are examples of a near perfect combination of sculpt and articulation. If we had the majority of figures made in this fashion, I'd be pretty happy. Particularly the main characters and army builders. Figures like the senators don't need to have that much for me personally, but still be fairly articulated. It does seem as though we're getting there though. The Star Wars figures have certainly come quite a ways in that department since the POTF2 (and even, for the most part POTJ) days.

And ROTS Mas Ameda makes for some damn fine "Senator" standard articulation, though I think the odd softgoods guy with longrobes would be nice. I dunno about you guys but I'd be all for a Red Robed Palpatine w/softgoods robes just so we could have the fightin' Palps in poseable fashion.

Anyway though, I really dislike the waist joints on Hasbro's G.I. Joe line, and I think it's entirely too noticeable for Star Wars... For Joe's it's cool, it's their "thing", but for Star Wars it would really stick out like a sore thumb, especially against the other nicely sculpted figures.

For instance, the Senators would look a bit awkward when next to them is a figure with the hips and waist of a G.I. Joe figure... It's something I'm not a huge fan of in customizing even (using select GIJ parts). To me, SA Clones are damn near perfect. They're the balance of poseability and aesthetics that the line should be delivering. GIJ it seems like they don't care much about a balance since thier 3.75" line has had the same articulation, basically, since 1983 when swivel-arms were introduced. It's more or less uniform for that line. Star Wars changing to GIJ style articulation would almost be as bad as a scale change to me, as far as the way the line looks all together. (I stress almost)

Right now, I'm cool with the increases in articulation that are well hidden. There's better balance there.

VOTC = Vintage Original Trilogy Collection, which were released last year on "original" cardbacks

The ball-jointed hips on the AT-TE Tank Gunner are much better than G.I. Joe hips. They have the same amount of movement but look natural. I'm not sure how they would look on a "regular" character like Han Solo or Luke Skywalker, but on the AT-TE Tank Gunner they look perfect.Also, I don't see why the VOTC Stormie or ROTS #41 SA Clone Trooper waist is worse than the G.I. Joe waist. In my opinion, it is much better - no annoying rubber band that always breaks (I guess I was too hard on my G.I. Joes ) and it looks more natural, as has been previously stated. The waist joint on the SA Clone is pretty much hidden, whereas in G.I. Joe figures, it is very obvious.

Don't get me wrong, I love my G.I. Joes, however I think using a G.I. Joe body for a SA Star Wars figure won't work. Like Jesse James stated, going to this mode of articulation would completely ruin the line (in terms of consistency with previous figures), and I think that it would be a step backwards.

Logged

The scariest thing that I've ever seen,Is the terrible AT-AT walking machine.It's as big as a house on walking legs,and whatever it steps on it crushes like eggs.

There's got to be some who see the irony that I'm somehow now the guy who is arguing FOR Hasbro's articulation. Took them 10 years to get there with me, but I think they have the best "Super Articulation" in this scale right now. Figures like VOTC Han are just incredibly close to perfect for my $.02... And any imperfections that figure does have don't have to do with articulation really (removable vest, non-hovering holster, etc.).